Google slices price of Nik photo tools

Mar. 25, 2013
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Efex Pro 2. / nik

by Jefferson Graham, USA TODAY

by Jefferson Graham, USA TODAY

LOS ANGELES - Google bought beloved photo company Nik Software in late 2012, causing many photographers to wonder how professional software fit in with a company whose mission is to organize the world's information.

Today, Google, which hasn't talked much about the Nik purchase, shows its hand. It is using its clout to get Nik programs into more hands by offering the complete Nik suite of six software programs for $150-down from $500.

The software tools-for tweaking color, making great black and white images, adjusting noise and creating multiple images, sold for around $99 or more each. Starting today, Nik's programs-including Color Efex, Viveza and Silver Efex, won't be sold separately, but instead as a bundle.

"We want to get them out to more and more people," says Josh Haftel, a Google+ product manager who joined Google from Nik when the acquisition (for an undisclosed price) was announced in September.

Before the purchase, Nik said it had over 1 million users of its software. Google's other photo product is Picasa, a free photo management and editing tool aimed at consumers.

Nik customers who bought any Nik product over the last 5 years get upgraded to the full collection for free. Additionally, new customers from February 22 to today who spent $149 on products will be refunded the difference, Google says.

The company, which is notorious for putting its name all over its products, is keeping the Nik name alive-at least for now.

"We have a large population of people familiar with our software," says Haftel. "We wanted to make a staged transition. So many people feel so passionate about Nik-we didn't want to fuel the fire that Google was going to kill the products" by unleashing a name change.

The jewel of the Nik acquisition was Snapseed, Nik's first effort for a consumer product, an image editing app that had cost $9.99. It was named "App of the Year" by Apple a few months after its release and is now free. One change: Google recently stopped offering the desktop version.

Still, Google is committed to the pro photographer, a community that vocally uses its Google+ social network. "We never would have been able to create Snapseed had we not had the professional market," says Haftel.

Google likes having a photography focus for Google+, where photos are presented larger than on Facebook. It has attracted many pros to exhibit and talk with others.

"If it doesn't have a great photo, it's a blah post," says Haftel. "Great photography assures that the social experience is much better."

Nik hasn't released any new product since the Google acquisition, but Haftel says new products will continue to come from Nik.